[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 22, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S2959]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     HONORING SENATOR PAUL SIMON'S WORK ON IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, tomorrow evening our friend and 
colleague, Senator Paul Simon, will be honored by the Lutheran 
Immigration and Refugee Service for his many distinguished years of 
commitment and achievement on behalf of immigrants and refugees.
  This honor is eminently deserved. Senator Simon has served with great 
distinction on the Immigration Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary 
Committee since he first came to the Senate in 1985. Throughout his 
service, he has been an outstanding leader and defender of our Nation's 
long and proud history as a nation of immigrants and a haven for 
refugees. He has challenged all of us to honor this heritage, and to do 
all we can to alleviate the plight of victims of oppression throughout 
the world. Paul has pursued this vision with integrity, dignity, 
fairness, and great intelligence and common sense.
  In many respects, he has been the conscience of the Senate on 
immigration and refugee issues. The 10 yeas in which he has so ably 
served on the subcommittee have been years of major reform. His steady 
hand and deep moral conviction have been felt throughout this process 
of change.
  In his book, ``The Glass House,'' Senator Simon observed: ``There are 
morally preferred options, and . . . it is the responsibility of 
humanity and of government to strive toward the good, no matter how 
erratic and tortuous that path might be''. Paul Simon exemplifies that 
good, and all of us who have worked with him are proud of his 
leadership.
  His presence in the Senate will be deeply missed when he retires at 
the end of next year. In all his achievements, he has reminded us that 
America is at its best when it upholds the traditions of fairness, 
opportunity, and compassion which made our country great.
  I commend the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service for this 
tribute to our friend and colleague, and join with my colleague Senator 
Simpson, the chairman of our Immigration Subcommittee, in 
congratulating Senator Simon on this well-deserved honor.
  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. President, our colleague, Senator Paul Simon, will 
be honored tomorrow evening by the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee 
Service for his tireless devotion to the plight of refugees throughout 
the world. I want everyone to know how special this award is and how 
special Paul Simon is.
  Paul and I have worked together on the Immigration Subcommittee since 
he came to the Senate in 1985. He has become a dear friend. But Paul 
Simon is also a friend to the millions who suffer the devastation of 
tyranny and war. He is the unknown benefactor of the refugees who have 
found a safe haven on our shores. And he has been a benefactor of our 
Nation, for these refugees are a revitalizing force among us.
  We enjoy the warm glow of bipartisanship on our subcommittee, and we 
need it. The issue of immigration is political dynamite and must be 
dealt with fairly. Paul Simon has been a persistent voice of justice 
and compassion on the subcommittee.
  The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service has served thousands of 
those new to our shores, and their award is an honor and a trust. Paul 
Simon has lived up to that trust.
  The Statue of Liberty enlightens the world, but her torch does not 
burn untended. Paul Simon has helped keep her lamp fueled and lit for 
America's newest immigrants.
  I am so pleased that Paul's hard work has been recognized with such 
an honor, and I know our colleagues share that pleasure.


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